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Fast food and food delivery gradually began changing that equation. 2024 was a year of experimentation with AI, with restaurants testing it on customer-facing interactions, like AI drive-thru ordering, with varying degrees of success. The restaurant experience was once solely comprised of human-to-human, in-person experiences.
Utilizing co-sourcing, restaurants, restaurant software providers, food distributors, or suppliers of any size can take advantage of the global talent pool at a scale that makes sense for them. Payroll processing and benefits administration are easy roles to fill using co-sourcing. Thankfully, that is not the case anymore.
Steady Online Ordering Brings Food Waste, Donations to the Forefront of Priorities Orderingfood online increases restaurant sales, but it also can potentially increase wasted food if proactive measures aren’t taken – for both the business and consumers at home.
How rising import taxes may reshape menus, pricing, and sourcing in the restaurant industry. The restaurant experience isnt just about great service and ambianceits deeply tied to ingredient sourcing and food costs. Supplier and Menu Shifts Some restaurants may respond by sourcing more ingredients domestically.
Amid these potential disruptions, operators need a fresh approach to managing food costs. But it goes beyond figuring out how to source the freshest ingredients at the best price. Extreme Weather: By 2035, experts predict that higher temperatures alone will push up worldwide food prices by between 0.9 percent annually.
were registered on food delivery platforms like Grubhub, DoorDash, and Uber Eats. For example, an app might offer 15% off your first order. They will create multiple fake accounts in bulk and then sell them to those looking for a discount on food. What are some common fraud activities you are seeing that affect restaurants?
Successfully navigating fluctuating food costs, especially with volatile ingredients like eggs, requires a multi-faceted approach, Mike Stasko Jr., What are the best practices for dealing with food costs for recipes when necessary items are fluctuating in price? What are the best ways to ensure food safety when sourcing eggs?
Operators should explore local sourcing, seasonal ingredients, or alternative recipes that reduce reliance on high-cost imports—think savory breakfast bowls instead of traditional egg dishes, or globally inspired flavors using domestic produce.” ” The survey found that consumers are feeling optimistic about the future. .”
The tool from the East Coast vegan chain — a digital take on a split-flap mechanical display that appears on its website and in the chain’s ordering app — estimates the amounts of water, land, CO2, and oil saved by eating vegan burgers. The “ PLNT Impact Tracker ” on PLNT Burger’s website wants you to think about what you’re eating.
“Through expansive experiences that inspire our guests paired with the ambiance of the space and the food on the plate, we’re setting new standards for the industry and creating truly spectacular moments for all who enter our restaurants and bars.” That’s where the NEXT Flavor Report comes in.
Self-serve kiosks, QR-code menus, and personalized ordering systems will continue to redefine how patrons interact with venues. In 2025, expect to see more restaurants and bars adopting eco-friendly practices, such as reducing food waste, sourcing locally, and using energy-efficient equipment.
Scaling an artisan food business is no easy feat. Many small food businesses reach a critical point where they must decide whether to remain small and exclusive or expand into wholesale, manufacturing, and broader distribution. Increased interest from wholesale buyers or retailers requesting larger orders.
Robert Sietsema/Eater NY Wonder wants to fix food delivery — so it just acquired Grubhub On November 13, Wonder, the company that describes itself as “a new kind of food hall,” announced its acquisition of the established foodordering and delivery platform Grubhub. How does Wonder make its food?
From smarter ordering systems to food that travels better, here’s what pizzeria owners can expect in the year ahead. On the customer side, AI is beginning to play a more significant role in online ordering. This not only frees up labor but also reduces order errors.
A growing number of chefs are shifting their attention to independent operations that focus on foods with wider appeal that need a commitment to excellence. This was, after all, a peasant food, but now is in a class all to its own from utility to high cuisine. Everybody loves food that you can hold in your hands.
Fast-casual concepts like Sammy’s Sliders, which offer high-quality, craveable food with speed and flexibility, are perfectly positioned for this shift. Customers expect seamless online ordering, loyalty programs, and delivery options, and franchise systems need to invest in tech to stay competitive.
As part of creating that good environment, she’s taken multiple steps to cut Rifrullo’s carbon footprint, including composting all food scraps, one of the most important steps restaurants can take to combat climate change. When food waste goes to landfills, it creates methane , a powerful greenhouse gas.
Wonho Frank Lee Ryan Bailey of Kato in LA says more square footage has actually helped operations A version of this post originally appeared on May 14, 2025, in Eater and Punchs newsletter Pre Shift , a biweekly newsletter for the industry pro that sources first-person accounts from the bar and restaurant world.
We like to say waffles “drip with success” for food service operators, and it's because of four key factors: profitability, versatility, consumer experience and operational efficiency. Fresh-baked waffles are perfect for locally sourced additions. “Waffle-omics” is a term we use at Golden Waffles.
The goal was to not only to trace current dining expectations and desires fueled by both current economic uncertainties and also the inundation of sources for restaurant recommendations and reviews but also how younger diners might be shaping the industry in the future. The majority of diners do agree on one thing: checking prices.
Restaurants are already experimenting with using AI to handle drive through orders to allow human employees to focus on customer interactions in the restaurant. For restaurants, sourcing from these local markets offers a way to support regional producers while differentiating their menus with unique, high-quality ingredients.
Relying on a corporation to provide your favorite food means you have no control over it. The other problem with relying on a corporation for your favorite food is if it were to change, how would you know? The change in order suggests that they have had a change in the net weight between those different products.
The ingrained customer behavior over the past year, delivery, mobile orders, curbside pick-up, will likely continue. By improving customer loyalty and increasing revenue through the smart use of technology from the public-facing part of the business all the way to the back-of-house prep, sourcing, and staffing.
Restaurants started using 2D barcodes (such as QR codes) at dining tables to offer digital menus and even allow patrons to order with their smartphones during the pandemic, when contactless transactions were necessary. In foodservice establishments, the same technology opens doors to greater food safety and ingredient transparency.
When youre updating your online menu or online ordering system, its tempting to just copy over the dish names from your restaurant menu and call it a day. With a few simple techniques, you can write menu descriptions that sounds natural, highlight your best dishes, and help guests feel confident (and excited) about ordering.
Before you ask or expect your team to be accountable, demonstrate it by following through on your commitments and openly addressing mistakes when they happen, whether it’s a scheduling oversight or a missed inventory order. ” Instead of: "Follow proper food safety procedures." Have fun with it!
Everything from food to labor is getting more expensive, which means restaurant margins are tighter than ever. The right marketing strategy helps you get the most out of every dollar by increasing customer retention , boosting order volume, and encouraging repeat visits. Even if your food is incredible, youre not operating in a vacuum.
First, You need toensure you’re maintaining brand consistency across multiple locations, and that involves streamlining logistics, sourcing, and staff training to keep quality high across your chain. Winning restaurant brands today aren’t just selling food; they’re selling a feeling, a community, and a cultural moment.
The food and grocery delivery space is booming – and it shows no signs of slowing down. Even as the pandemic shifts into endemic territory and people don’t fear being in public as much, there are certain conveniences we have all learned to love, including having food delivered. And of course, everyone also wants a deal.
Luckily, those tools already exist, enabling restaurant owners to save money, expedite contactless set-up and payments, and even fulfill customer orders directly (no outside delivery app necessary) on platforms that stay in-line with the restaurant’s brand image. Special deals : Restaurants learn so much from a customer’s order.
In recent years, the food service industry has undergone a rapid transformation of automation and increased technology usage. This has led to many perks for consumers, such as reduced wait times, contactless ordering, and more personalized offers and rewards. Perkins American Food Co. percent from 2025 to 2033 and reach US$ 345.6
Every online order, email sign up, and reward program interaction generates valuable insightsbut if that data just sits there, youre missing a major opportunity. Think about it: What if you could automatically send a special offer to a customer who hasnt ordered in a while? Or adjust your staffing schedule based on peak ordering times?
Increasing your restaurants online order volume doesnt have to feel like an impossible task. In this guide, well walk through seven practical ways to boost your restaurants online order volume. Optimize Your Website and Online Ordering Experience If your restaurants website isnt easy to use, youre probably losing out on online orders.
From full service to fast-casual to legacy fast-food brands, the one constant was disruption. Many brands were able to turn a profit from the lockdowns and social distancing orders by shifting operations toward drive-thru, delivery, pick-up, and curbside models. are the fast-casual franchise model of the future.
Over the next decade, a generation passionate about health and wellness will demand restaurants be transparent about food from farm to table. Guests will expect to know every aspect of sourcing and meal preparation, which will disrupt traditional back-of-house systems with technology that connects the farm to the food.
It’s wise to invest in fully featured software options, which offer audit management and compliance tracking capabilities to maximize the safety of your food, guests, and business. One weak link in the supply chain could cause a food safety breach that could put your guests and brand at risk. Boost automation.
Customers on average will order more menu items, resulting in a larger bill for the restaurant and a larger tip for the employee. With the slim margins, there is tremendous pressure to pour through each of your supplier’s catalogues in an attempt to alter your menu items to make sure you don’t order when prices are high.
By Bailey Ramsey, Contributor Food waste is a critical issue in the restaurant industry. To put this in perspective, restaurants waste anywhere between 4% to 10% of the food they purchase. Predicting Customer Demand Accurately One of the leading causes of food waste in restaurants is overproduction.
B Corp Restaurants As of early 2024, almost 150 restaurants around the world have achieved the certification, from fine-dining independents to fast-casual chains, with hotels, breweries and food delivery companies also dotting the list. Green Restaurant and Slow Food were others we considered. Is It Worth It?
Previously, he co-founded CAKE, which was acquired by Sysco and helped create Sysco Labs, a platform for food service distributors. "People "People tend to go to fast-food restaurants for the speed and lower price point. Restaurants should be able to provide this information to anyone placing orders or reading a menu.
The combination of stay-at-home orders, ongoing COVID restrictions, spikes in COVID numbers, and consumer fear about the risks of dining out are significantly impacting the restaurant industry. A good first step is to elevate your food safety culture. How Food Safety Culture Has Changed. Treat Location Employees Like Assets.
To stay in the know, 46 percent of today’s diners want the ability to view their loyalty point balance, 48 percent want to place a delivery request and 56 percent want to track their order from their mobile device. The Index revealed 57 percent of consumers have canceled a delivery order after seeing the additional fees.
Restaurants have faced labor shortages, supply and equipment shortages, and climbing food prices, with no past playbook on how to navigate the crisis. Finding enough drivers to haul goods has been a challenge for suppliers, leaving restaurants without the necessary food and supplies they need. Food Shortage. Equipment Shortage.
is the second-largest online food delivery market and generated an estimated $218B in revenue in 2022. Situations where workers are kicked off platforms for reasons like saying no to too many orders or facing delays that aren't their fault are now looked at more closely.
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